This invention is related to abrasive articles, particularly abrasive articles especially suited for use in critical or controlled environments.
An ever increasing number of industrial operations require isolation from potential ubiquitous physical and chemical contaminants. Conversely, other industrial operations may require quarantine from the general environment due to their toxic or infectious nature. Such needs are generally met by the design, fabrication, and use of so-called "clean rooms" (also known as "white rooms").
Such facilities have found widespread use in the manufacture of semiconductor devices, where the presence of external contaminants such as unwanted particles and ions must be minimized. Operations such as, for example, crystal growth, ion implantation, metal deposition, and etching are typically carried out in low pressure (vacuum) chambers or reactors that are operated in clean room environments. Following use for a time, these chambers inevitably become soiled and therefore require cleaning. Depending on the nature of the contamination, abrasive articles may be required to remove tenaciously-held contaminants. Such abrasive operations by definition generate particulate materials that may contaminate the clean room environment. Further, the abrasive articles themselves may convey unwanted particles and/or ionic moieties into the chamber and/or clean room. There thus is a need for an abrasive article for use in critical, clean room environments. Such an abrasive article should efficaciously remove residue from reactor surfaces, minimize the release of particles into the clean room environment, and minimize transfer of ionic contaminants to the reactor and/or the clean room.